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Preparing for Policy Implementation

Preparing for Policy Implementation equips professionals with the frameworks and tools needed to translate policy intent into effective action. Learn how to anticipate implementation challenges, measure success and minimise unintended consequences to deliver stronger public outcomes.

Next Dates: 13 May; View more dates
Duration: 2 days or 6 weeks
Delivery mode: In-person
Location: UNSW Canberra City

Price (AUD inc. GST): $2,260 - $2,940
Spots remaining: AVAILABLE

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Course summary
About
Outcomes
Schedule
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Course summary

Build your cyber expertise

This course introduces you to a range of concepts that aim to equip you with the tools and knowledge needed to prepare for policy implementation.

Expand your learning with a Microcredential

Take your policy implementation expertise further by continuing on to complete a microcredential. This next step allows you to consolidate your learning through a final assessment. Upon completion, you’ll earn 2 units of credit (UOC), which can be used toward postgraduate study through approved articulation pathways.

Assessment are due 4 weeks after the short course completion.

Who will benefit

Professionals working in and around the public sector, at all levels of government, who wish to or have responsibility for improving policy implementation.

Course is suitable for

Professionals involved in policy development or implementation, including those involved in developing new policies, improving existing implementation processes or changing implementation practices.
No prior knowledge is required.

Delivered by experts

Professor Helen Dickinson

Facilitator

Helen Dickinson is Professor of Public Service Research in the School of Business at UNSW, Canberra.
Her expertise is in public services, particularly in relation topics such as governance, policy implementation and stewardship of 4th industrial revolution technologies.
Helen has published twenty books and over one hundred and thirty peer-reviewed journal articles on these topics and is also a frequent commentator within the mainstream media.
In 2015, Helen was made a Victorian Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia and in 2019 awarded a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.
In 2021 Helen was named one of Apolitical’s 100 most influential academics in government. She has worked with a range of different levels of government, community organisations and private organisations in Australia, UK, New Zealand and Europe on research and consultancy programmes.

About the course

Turning policy into practice

Preparing for Policy Implementation builds the practical capability to move policy from concept to execution. Tailored for public sector professionals, the course explores the common barriers to successful implementation, how to assess impact and how to design delivery approaches that minimise risk and maximise results.

Why enrol in this course

Develop applicable policy skills

Gain tools and frameworks to make policy implementation more effective — a skill highly valued in government, NGOs and consulting.

Learn from public policy expert

The course offers exposure to research and cotntemporary policy practice.

Enhance your career and credibility

Develop your capability in public administration to support career growth and career development.

Key features

Focus on policy implementation

Develop practical skills to design, assess and strengthen policy implementation strategies

Evidence-informed and practice-oriented

Integrate contemporary research with real world public sector expereince

Address policy success and failure

Examine why policies fail, how to define success and how to minimise unintended consequences

Microcredential pathway

Option to complete an assessment for academic credit

Learning outcomes

Strengthen your policy implementation expertise

By completing this course, you will build practical skills and frameworks to strengthen policy implementation — a capability highly valued across government, NGOs and consulting. Learn from a public policy expert and explore why policies succeed or fail, how to measure success and how to reduce unintended consequences. With a strong focus on real-world application and evidence-informed practice, the course also offers the option to complete an assessment for academic credit as part of a microcredential pathway.

What you'll learn

By completing this course, you will be able to:

identify some of the common reasons why policies fail
explain why policy implementation is important in delivering effective public services
identify the different factors that are needed to evaluate policy.

Topics covered

This course covers:

Why policies fail
Why implementation is important
How to identify what success looks like
How to know if policies are successful
Planning to reduce unintended consequences

Course delivery

Format	Commitment	Delivery
2 days	9am - 4pm	In-person

Schedule

The short course and microcredential will be delivered over a 6 week period including:

Week 1	Week 2	Weeks 3-5	Week 6
Pre-work for short course day 1 (approx 2 hours)	Short course over 2 days Microcredential participants only Assessment set up	Self-paced assessment preparation	Final assessment due for marking

Week 1

Week 2

Weeks 3-5

Week 6

Pre-work for short course day 1 (approx 2 hours)

Short course over 2 days

Microcredential participants only

Assessment set up

Self-paced assessment preparation

Final assessment due for marking